mid—term elections. the democrat representative, charlie crist has won the primary in the us state of florida. now on bbc news...panorama. tonight on panorama, the women who create sexually explicit images of women online. this is not a phenomenon _ images of women online. this is not a phenomenon of— images of women online. this is not a phenomenon of perverts l images of women online. this is| not a phenomenon of perverts or widows or other oddballs who are doing this, there are too many of them. it is tens of thousands of men.- many of them. it is tens of thousands of men. and one of the world's — thousands of men. and one of the world's biggest _ thousands of men. and one of the world's biggest social - the world's biggest social media companies hosting the hamill — for convenience —— konta one it is very easy to share — konta one it is very easy to share this _

konta one it is very easy to share this without anyone ever saying — share this without anyone ever saying it — share this without anyone ever saying it the sickening moment women — saying it the sickening moment women realise intimate videos and images are being shared without— and images are being shared without their consent again and again — without their consent again and again i — without their consent again and aaain. u, �* without their consent again and aaain. �* , ., again. i can't even compute how many peeple — again. i can't even compute how many people might _ again. i can't even compute how many people might have - again. i can't even compute how| many people might have already seen them. the many people might have already seen them-— seen them. the only thing i've heard about _ seen them. the only thing i've heard about was _ seen them. the only thing i've heard about was what - seen them. the only thing i've heard about was what if - seen them. the only thing i've heard about was what if my i heard about was what if my mother—in—law found out, what if any— mother—in—law found out, what if any of— mother—in—law found out, what if any of them found out? in this if any of them found out? in this moment right now people copying them, downloading them and sharing them. i am copying them, downloading them and sharing them.— and sharing them. i am living now. and sharing them. i am living nova and _ and sharing them. i am living now. and unmasked, - and sharing them. i am living now. and unmasked, a - and sharing them. i am living now. and unmasked, a man. now. and unmasked, a man runnina now. and unmasked, a man running an _ now. and unmasked, a man running an online _ now. and unmasked, a man| running an online community peddling explicit images of at least 150 women. that is really not who i expected to see at all. enjoy that sunny weather. that is it for me. bye for now. i am monica plough how, a bbc news

presenter and reporter. thanks, everyone. great show. thank you so much. like manyjournalists, social media helps me do my job. they know me so well because every time i take a selfie, they say do you want the lights up. thank you, guys. it is how i share my work, stay on top of a new tablet is also where anyone can contact me about a story. that's how i got tipped off about a disturbing new online phenomenon. hi, guys. tanweer shah is a financial consultant turned social media influence. i financial consultant turned social media influence. i hope everyone _ social media influence. i hope everyone is — social media influence. i hope everyone is having _ social media influence. i hope everyone is having a - social media influence. i hope everyone is having a good - everyone is having a good saturday. everyone is having a good saturday-— everyone is having a good saturda . ,, ., ., saturday. she told me how someone _ saturday. she told me how someone discovered - saturday. she told me how i someone discovered someone saturday. she told me how - someone discovered someone had posted a picture of her on a site called reddit. i

posted a picture of her on a site called reddit. i assume reddit is a _ site called reddit. i assume reddit is a positive - site called reddit. i assume reddit is a positive forum . reddit is a positive forum where people share reviews and talk about people in a positive way, but when i clicked on it, i was like, what is this? i was just shocked.— just shocked. reddit is a social media _ just shocked. reddit is a social media platform i just shocked. reddit is a l social media platform with just shocked. reddit is a - social media platform with more than 50 million daily users worldwide. it brings together news, users videos and pictures, as well as brilliance of comments. —— billions. it is best known for years as being able to set up their own groups to discuss almost any topic they want. most of them are harmless. but she found a photograph from her instagram account had been posted in a reddit group dedicated to men leering at women.— reddit group dedicated to men leering at women. what made me feel worse is _ leering at women. what made me feel worse is when _ leering at women. what made me feel worse is when i _ leering at women. what made me feel worse is when i looked - leering at women. what made me feel worse is when i looked at - feel worse is when i looked at the picture and then i clicked on the comments below, i saw so many men commenting about trying to find out information

about me, my name, where i live, the things they would do to me, which were both degrading and sexual. they were calling me names, and that is what really got to me, because i felt so objectified and i felt as though i was their property where they were allowed to say and do whatever they wanted to me. the allowed to say and do whatever they wanted to me.— they wanted to me. the group once just _ they wanted to me. the group once just sharing _ they wanted to me. the group once just sharing images - they wanted to me. the group| once just sharing images lifted from women's social media, there were also posting intimate photos. to protect the women, we are not showing any real images and have created a mock—up of the type of material the group were sharing. some of the group were sharing. some of the pictures appear to be nude selfies, probably sent between partners are not meant for anyone else. partners are not meant for anyone else-— partners are not meant for an one else. . ., , anyone else. there are images here that _ anyone else. there are images here that have _ anyone else. there are images here that have probably - anyone else. there are images here that have probably been i here that have probably been sent to people in private in a safe space that are now no longer private.— safe space that are now no longer private. some videos on the reddit _ longer private. some videos on the reddit group _ longer private. some videos on the reddit group are _ longer private. some videos on the reddit group are far- longer private. some videos on the reddit group are far more i the reddit group are far more graphic. it looks like women have been secretly filmed having six. it

have been secretly filmed having sim— having six. it is really shocking. _ having six. it is really shocking, really, - having six. it is really i shocking, really, really shocking. shocking, really, really shocking-— shocking, really, really shockina. ~' , shocking. do you think she knows her _ shocking. do you think she knows her image _ shocking. do you think she knows her image is - shocking. do you think she knows her image is being i shocking. do you think she - knows her image is being shared on this thread? she knows her image is being shared on this thread?— on this thread? she probably has absolutely _ on this thread? she probably has absolutely no _ on this thread? she probably has absolutely no idea. - on this thread? she probably| has absolutely no idea. there are more _ has absolutely no idea. there are more than _ has absolutely no idea. there are more than 20,000 - has absolutely no idea. there l are more than 20,000 people signed up to the group. as far as i can tell, most of them are men, and hardly any of them are using their real names. the words being _ using their real names. the words being used _ using their real names. tie: words being used make using their real names. tte: words being used make me using their real names. t"t2 words being used make me feel sick to my stomach. i am so traumatised by this thread, i just can't begin to imagine how women whose explicit images where shared must be feeling. since meeting tanweer, i have been searching across reddit. i have found dozens more groups doing the same thing. there are hundreds of explicit images and videos in this folder. i am literally looking through now. and it is really, really awful to see. i am military so is

shocked. never in a million years i never knew something like this even exists on the internet. the deeper i go on reddit, the worse it gets —— i am literally so shocked. within almost all of these groups, men are selling links to huge collections of explicit images. £5, £10, £20, these images and videos are clearly being sold and bought on this reddit thread, and do the women in them even know? probably not, no. the trade in nudes online has become so widespread, it now has a name. collector culture is the term that is because many— is the term that is because many of— is the term that is because many of the men collect these images — many of the men collect these images in _ many of the men collect these images in large repositories,

and there is a certain status in having _ and there is a certain status in having a large number of images. _ in having a large number of images, and this can be on small. _ images, and this can be on small, private chat groups, facebook groups, whatsapp groups. _ facebook groups, whatsapp groups, but there are also websites and groups where tens of thousands of men are meeting in trading — of thousands of men are meeting in trading and sharing images. how— in trading and sharing images. how does _ in trading and sharing images. how does collector culture happen? it how does collector culture ha--en? how does collector culture happen?— how does collector culture ha en? , . happen? it might be that the nude image _ happen? it might be that the nude image has _ happen? it might be that the nude image has been - happen? it might be that the nude image has been taken i happen? it might be that the . nude image has been taken with consent, — nude image has been taken with consent, but it might be that the image has been taken without— the image has been taken without that woman knowing it was taken. the image might have been _ was taken. the image might have been hacked from her account. so been hacked from her account. 50 there — been hacked from her account. 50 there is— been hacked from her account. so there is a number of different ways in which these images — different ways in which these images can then be uploaded onto— images can then be uploaded onto these websites and taken and shared. on the group tanweer showed me, the online — on the group tanweer showed me, the online abuse has followed women — the online abuse has followed women into the real world. users— women into the real world. users are _ women into the real world. users are trying to work out the names, addresses and numbers of the women pictured so they can find them in real

life. ifind one woman so they can find them in real life. i find one woman whose personal details were discussed by more than 20 people in the group. it is monica here. hello. i'm so sorry to hear the awful comments that you have been getting. like tanvi, her instagram picture was posted on reddit. now she's being hounded by the group. have they contacted your friends or your family or anyone friends or yourfamily or anyone in your inner circle?

how many how many messages how many messages do you get? she is worried what the men might do next. do you think your private details are being shared online as well? that is viable. i'm really sorry to hear that. —— vile. so how many other women are being targeted in the same way? there are more than 15,000 images posted in this group. we looked at 1000 of them, and found intimate pictures of at least 150 different women. reddit has

a history of hosting controversial 150 different women. reddit has a history of hosting controversial sexual 150 different women. reddit has a history of hosting controversial sexual content. leaked celebrity sex tapes have been shared on the site. several a—list stars are the target of what appears to be one of the biggest celebrity hacking leaks. posts on the websites for chan and reddit say the celebrities were exposed. say the celebrities were “posed-— say the celebrities were exosed. ., ., , ., , say the celebrities were exosed. ., ., , ., ., exposed. than four years ago it had to close — exposed. than four years ago it had to close down _ exposed. than four years ago it had to close down a _ exposed. than four years ago it had to close down a reddit - had to close down a reddit group where users were sharing what is known as deep fake pornography. they actors were superimposed into real adult movies. , movies. reddit the site with community _ movies. reddit the site with community started - movies. reddit the site with community started changed | movies. reddit the site with i community started changed its rules to the bed in voluntary fake pornography. —— to fake pornography. -- to full bed. , , , ., bed. reddit says its rules are now much — bed. reddit says its rules are now much tighter. _ bed. reddit says its rules are now much tighter. it - bed. reddit says its rules are now much tighter. it recentlyj now much tighter. it recently changed its definition of sexual content prohibited on the site, but how, i can still find so much of it? it is about

the way reddit polices itself. reddit can be seen to be more of a kind of wild west space than other platforms. really, they are quite late touch, compared to the other platforms. and that is an intentional choice to give power to the people who use the platform. power to the people who use the latform. , , , , platform. reddit insists it is not a platform. reddit insists it is rrot a light _ platform. reddit insists it is not a light touch. _ platform. reddit insists it is not a light touch. it - platform. reddit insists it is not a light touch. it says - platform. reddit insists it is not a light touch. it says it i not a light touch. it says it has a dedicated internal safety team, which uses a special software to remove harmful content. it also employs admins to enforce reddit�*s rules, but the important part of overseeing the groups is done by what is called moderators. moderators kind of signed up to help police the content in their community. they have the power to remove posts, to ban people and these people are being paid, but they have volunteered to keep the communities is obeying the rules. . ,

communities is obeying the rules. , , ., communities is obeying the rules. ,, ., ,, rules. has this been an issue for reddit? _ rules. has this been an issue for reddit? if _ rules. has this been an issue for reddit? if you _ rules. has this been an issue for reddit? if you are - rules. has this been an issue for reddit? if you are not. for reddit? if you are not policing _ for reddit? if you are not policing things _ for reddit? if you are not policing things very - for reddit? if you are not| policing things very tightly from the top, it is much more difficult to make sure that abuse of those platforms and people who use them and the content shared on them is kept in check. reddit expects its moderators to help police the groups, but i found a to help police the groups, but ifound a moderator who to help police the groups, but i found a moderator who does the opposite. remember the group that targeted tanvi and the other women? it was set up by the moderator. he goes by the name zippo mad, but who is he? i look at his previous comments on tampa. he has posted a screenshot of an image which he said in the description, oh it is a leak of a sex tape. here is another one, i have her number and her

address. so he busily has private details, private information of women, which he is willing to share. that is your address, where you live. you can even live at home with your family and your parents. this moderator also calls out people who criticise the group. someone has complained, asking zippo mad to shut down the page, and then zippo mad has commented, "we have snitches on here". i want to track down the so—called moderator. the only clue about zippo mad's identity is that strange name. it turns out he collect zippo lighters. now we're on to something. zippo mad is offering to sell at a later. i am going to reply on a fake account, and to pretend that i want to buy a lighter. it's worth a try.

it is easy for zippo mad to remain anonymous online, but even when women know who is responsible for leaking their private images, they might be no protection from the law. i have come to meet georgie. in 2020, a stranger contacted her on social media to tell her a folder of intimate images of her was being shared online. this time, it wasn't on reddit. hello. , ., ., ., hello. georgie, how are you? reaular hello. georgie, how are you? regular cold. _ hello. georgie, how are you? regular cold, come _ hello. georgie, how are you? regular cold, come in. - hello. georgie, how are you? regular cold, come in. so - hello. georgie, how are you? | regular cold, come in. so nice to see you- — regular cold, come in. so nice to see you- i — regular cold, come in. so nice to see you. i knew— regular cold, come in. so nice to see you. i knew exactly - regular cold, come in. so nice| to see you. i knew exactly what those pictures _ to see you. i knew exactly what those pictures were. _ to see you. i knew exactly what those pictures were. i- those pictures were. i remembered those pictures, they were ones that i shared with an ex partner, many years before that i was assured by that ex

partner had been deleted. and now a complete stranger was sending those images back to me. i can't even compute how many people might have already seen them, and there is no way of stopping more people seeing them. in this moment, right now, people might be looking at them, people might be copying them, people might be copying them, downloading them, sharing them. they can even print them out and put them on the wall if they want to. once something is on the internet, it is on the internet. on the internet, it is on the internet— internet. how did what you exoerience _ internet. how did what you experience impact - internet. how did what you experience impact your - internet. how did what you i experience impact your life? it's horrible that i have to compartmentalise it because there is literally nothing i can do about it. what is harder is trusting new people. particularly in romantic situations. i have been single for the last two years. dating is difficult. her ex— partner admitted to her

in a text he was responsible. armed with what she thought was damning evidence, she went to the police. damning evidence, she went to the police-— the police. the day the police contacted _ the police. the day the police contacted him _ the police. the day the police contacted him for _ the police. the day the police contacted him for the - the police. the day the police contacted him for the first. contacted him for the first time he sent me a text in which she admitted to sharing the pictures but he also said that he did not mean to hurt or embarrass me. that was the phrasing he used in the message. phrasing he used in the message-— phrasing he used in the messare. ., , message. that careful phrasing meant he was _ message. that careful phrasing meant he was beyond - message. that careful phrasing meant he was beyond the - message. that careful phrasing | meant he was beyond the scope of the law. meant he was beyond the scope of the law— of the law. despite having a written admission _ of the law. despite having a written admission of- of the law. despite having a written admission of guilt . of the law. despite having aj written admission of guilt in of the law. despite having a l written admission of guilt in a text, because he does not claim to have wanted to hurt me i was told by police there was nothing they could do. and i was absolutely flabbergasted by that, that there was such a huge loophole in the legislation. fist huge loophole in the legislation.— huge loophole in the le . islation. �* ., legislation. at the moment it is onl a legislation. at the moment it is only a criminal _ legislation. at the moment it is only a criminal offence - legislation. at the moment it is only a criminal offence to i is only a criminal offence to trade — is only a criminal offence to trade an—

is only a criminal offence to trade an image on one of these websites— trade an image on one of these websites if you are directly causing _ websites if you are directly causing distress to the victim and we — causing distress to the victim and we know that many men trading — and we know that many men trading these images do not even — trading these images do not even want the victims denies that— even want the victims denies that there is a huge gap in the law _ that there is a huge gap in the law the — that there is a huge gap in the law. the problem is the law oniy— law. the problem is the law only focus on the malicious ex— partner— only focus on the malicious ex— partner sharing image, kind of revenge — partner sharing image, kind of revenge pornography and this only_ revenge pornography and this only covers a small number of images — only covers a small number of images of— only covers a small number of images of internet abuse. the government — images of internet abuse. the government says _ images of internet abuse. tt2 government says it images of internet abuse. t“t2 government says it is considering the proposal from the law commission to make it illegal to share and intimate image without consent, regardless of the perpetrators motives. for now, the law does not sufficiently protect women being abused online like this but what about the technology companies? i have spoken to seven women who have struggled to get their private images removed from reddit. hello, how is it going? four of them say

the material was never taken the material was never ta ken down the material was never taken down and had to wait up to eight months before it was deleted. ., ., , deleted. social media companies are sa in: deleted. social media companies are saying the — deleted. social media companies are saying the way _ deleted. social media companies are saying the way they - are saying the way they are responding to image abuse is to improve on reporting but reporting is too late. in 2a hours a piece of content can spread not only within the platform but across platforms, globally. they need to be taken down then, which is much harder. ., harder. reddit said it removed more than _ harder. reddit said it removed more than 88,000 _ harder. reddit said it removed - more than 88,000 nonconsensual sexual images last year but you do not have to look very hard to find many more on the site. reddit needs to do more to invest in implementation to prevent images being uploaded in the first place alessia spent trying to take down images. if harm is being prevented we have fewer women experiencing this form of abuse and we have fewer perpetrators. reddit told us it's

and we have fewer perpetrators. reddit told us its safety teams regularly take action against community and uses for this behaviour, including removing communities that are evading a band. zippo mad, the moderator responsible for the group trading sexually explicit photos and videos, is one step ahead of reddit. his group has been shut down twice due to complaints but he just sets it up complaints but he just sets it up again. almost 2000 more images have been shared and there is something else about this group. this group is dedicated to sharing images of south asian women. the title of it is too offensive for me to even say, it is vile, it is a racist slur and quite frankly i do not feel comfortable even repeating it. the comments, the comments constantly refer to

women in the most racist, misogynistic and degrading way. i have spoken to several women whose naked images and videos were shared in this reddit group. only one of them was prepared to go on camera as long as we discussed a voice and identity. only one of them was prepared to go on camera, as long as we disguised her voice and identity. we're calling her ayesha, and we aren't meeting at her home. she believes that she was secretly filmed. when i saw it, i was just shocked myself, because i was like, "is that even me?" it looks like me, but i don't remember it happening. i put my family through so much and, being a pakistani girl, it's not right in our community for us to even get sexual before marriage or anything like that. that's not acceptable. my dad went through pure depression. my mum went through

depression herself as well. i felt so ashamed of everything that was going on and that i'd put them in this situation. i always just blamed myself. ayesha got married soon after her images and videos were posted on the group. she says her new husband is very understanding, but she's worried about his family finding out. i actually got married, and it's probably the most happiest day of my life. something that i always looked forward to as a little kid. the only thing that i always feared about was, what if my mother—in—law found out? what if any of them found out? if they found out about the videos, i don't think i would be with him. what makes you say that? why do you think you're not going to be with him? i don't think anyone would accept in the muslim community for a girl's videos to be leaked out, and obviously her body being shown to thousands and thousands of men.

at the time, ayesha was too scared to tell those closest to her. i stopped socialising. i stopped going out of the house. i was in and out of psychiatric units, and i don't think i even saw my body where i didn't have cuts all over my body. it was just always self—harming, suicidal attempts, because it's coming to a point where i can't bear life any more. some charities say south asian women are particularly vulnerable to this type of abuse. this is impacting women and girls globally. but we have to put it into context of, if you are a south asian girl who's been conditioned to not talk about these issues, you don't have the ability to go and talk to your mum necessarily, or your sister or your aunt or a family relative. we've had women and girls that have rung the helpline, absolutely petrified that images are going to be leaked,

where they're being blackmailed to pay money, where they're being blackmailed to perform sexual favours to avoid such images being leaked. none of this should be a surprise to the men posting and trading material on the reddit group set up by zippo mad. most of them appear to be from the same communities as the women being targeted. this comment is written in hindi. girls are being sworn about in urdu and punjabi. it saddens me, but it doesn't shock me. south asian men will know that that person has no ability or limited ability to speak out, that they are silenced by notions of shame, stigma and honour. so the fact that they're doing that, knowing that, and the degree of power and control that they have, is absolutely disgusting.

zippo mad, the reddit moderator who set up that group, has been in touch. he's agreed to sell me a lighter. when i say "me", i mean our undercover reporter. so zippo mad goes, "you leaving at one?" and i've replied, saying, "leaving in ten mins. i should be there just after 1pm." he's read the message. it's blue ticked. he's given us a location and he says, "i'll meet you there." it's ten minutes to get there. finally, we're going to be face—to—face with the man who created a group trading explicit images and videos of at least 150 women. there we go. where's close?

currently parked outside and our undercover reporter isjust about to make his way in. radio: ok, ready to go when you are. ok, i'm leaving now. he's going in now. let's see. let's wait. hi. 0h. how's it going? you all right? is it himesh? yes, it is, yeah. himesh. nice to meet you, man. you can just see in the corner of the window that our undercover reporter is now sitting at a table with the people that have just walked in. oh, is it new? it's not new. it's... it's been used. i bought it like that. this is himesh, the man running the reddit group. he went to university, has travelled around asia

and is now employed as a manager in a big company. that's really not who i expected to see at all. himesh later told us he set up the group as an appreciation of south asian women, not to target them. due to the high number of users, he found it impossible to moderate them. he says he never shared anyone's private details and he even helped to remove some sexually explicit material when asked to by women. he adds that he is extremely remorseful and he apologises to the women. but himesh is only one of many men who behave like this online. unfortunately, i think what some of this tells us is about levels of misogyny and discrimination against women and the objectification of women. men aren't necessarily doing this for sexual gratification. so they're doing it as... it's about their masculine status amongst groups of men.

that's why they're not going to the freely and easily accessible porn sites, but they're taking and trading these sorts of images. so it's not about sexual arousal or sexual gratification. it's about their group bonding and their kudos amongst theirfriends. this is not a phenomenon of perverts or weirdos or other oddballs who are doing this. there's too many of them. it's tens of thousands of men, average men. himesh has now deleted the group and deactivated his profile. reddit has removed similar groups we reported to them. thousands of women's images or videos have been removed, but that won't make up for the harm done to them. for now, the law and tech companies are not doing enough to combat this abuse.

but ultimate responsibility lies with the thousands of men trading, selling and sharing these explicit images. my message out there for all the people that are doing this, please, just stop this. and anyone that's obviously going through this, just speak up, and you do have a voice. since i found out, i started talking publicly about it and campaigning, i havejust found so much more fulfilment and empowerment and it has actually led me to some amazing things, despite having gone through such a painful experience. when you are held accountable, when it is illegal, _ and when the government does impose bills and laws, - that's when you're going to be in serious trouble. _

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